How To Get The Best Arms Of Your Life Now

The upper arms are a zone of fear for many women. Submitting for evidence the countless videos on TikTok where women jokingly (we hope) poke fun at how their arms look when pressed against the side of their body, with comments such as, “No because why do I look like a bouncer? Just need to take my SIA test.” Or my favourite, “An old man asked me ‘how did you get your arms like that? Are you a swimmer?’ I was in fact not a swimmer, just wearing no sleeves.”

While it is of course totally normal for the arms to look wider when pressed against the body, videos like this do highlight certain insecurities many women share. For many of us, baring our arms is a step too far beyond our comfort zone.

Still, confidently bearing your arms is an absolute power move. When Miley Cyrus performed at this year’s Grammy Awards her defined and strong-looking arms generated actual headlines. Cyrus looked powerful. (FYI, she credits Pilates for her form.) Of late, sculpted, smooth and glistening arms have been stealing the spotlight on the red carpet, too. See Jodie Turner-Smith at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, or Diane Kruger and Demi Moore on the Cannes red carpet.

The best skincare

As the common refrain goes: “Skincare can only do so much.” But in the case of the arms, skincare can do an awful lot, actually. The British Skin Foundation estimates that around 40 per cent of adults have keratosis pilaris, with women more likely to experience it. These tiny, goosebump-like raised dots appear when keratin accumulates in hair follicles, and can be made worse by dryness and friction caused by clothing. For most women, KP appears over the upper arms, where they feel rough to the touch and, depending on your skin tone, can appear red and angry.

Upgrade your body wash to one containing gentle exfoliators: This Works Perfect Body Smoothing Wash contains polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) that exfoliate rough skin without stripping it of moisture. Byoma’s Smoothing Body Serum and Brightening Body Lotion, meanwhile, are a duo sent from the gods. The serum gently exfoliates with succinic acid, while the body lotion shores up the microbiome, brightens with niacinamide, and smooths and reduces redness with azelaic acid. Apply the serum first to clean skin, allow it a moment to sink in, and follow with a generous layer of lotion.

At night, opt for a retinol. Just as retinol helps to brighten and smooth lines and texture on your face, it can do the same for your body, helping to speed up cell turnover for softer, silkier and more radiant limbs. Nécessaire The Body Retinol is a great go-to. With a veritable cocktail of skin brighteners and exfoliators – including 0.1% pure retinol, 10% AHAs, and vitamin C – it helps soften texture, fine lines and crepiness. Just remember to wear your SPF the next day.

And for an intensive treatment when skin needs urgent attention, try Naturium KP Scrub & Mask, £20. It doubles down on exfoliation with both physical exfoliation from jojoba and pumice, and chemical exfoliation with AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs. Again, SPF is a must.

The best workouts

Of course, the best way to see noticeable and lasting improvements in your arms is to get them moving. Cyrus is a fan of Pilates, and she’s definitely on to something. Marsha Lindsay, founder of Nobu Pilates, explains: “Pilates is an all-encompassing exercise format that engages every single muscle in the body and it delivers some positive physical results almost instantaneously. The body becomes stronger and that progress builds over time.” Lindsay, a classical Pilates expert, credits spring resistance for sculpting, “The arm springs on the cadillac [Pilates table] act similarly to weight training for building strength and toning, but unlike weights, they create lengthening of the muscles. This can give the appearance of a leaner frame, as opposed to dense muscles.”